Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
This role stands out in the SaaS ecosystem because it sits at the operational center of a scaled, platform-led advertising business where programmatic delivery is a core product capability, not an add-on service. The remit spans programmatic infrastructure, DSP integrations, identity and audience systems, and cross-platform execution—areas that increasingly differentiate modern SaaS platforms that monetize through ads as well as subscriptions.
From a SaaS career perspective, the work builds durable platform-operations experience: creating repeatable operating models, improving reliability across partner integrations, and translating delivery signals into product and revenue-facing decisions. Leading readiness for major platform transitions also mirrors a common SaaS reality—shipping changes while maintaining service levels—making the experience portable across ad tech, martech, and other integration-heavy SaaS categories.
The position is best suited to a senior operator-leader who prefers bridging product, engineering, and commercial stakeholders, and who is comfortable being an escalation point for complex system and marketplace issues. It will fit someone motivated by measurable outcomes, process design, and ecosystem coordination, with an interest in how platform capabilities become scalable, supportable “products” internally and externally.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
Do you have a passion for programmatic advertising and want to shape the future of audio and digital media? At Spotify, we’re transforming how advertisers connect with audiences through immersive audio, video, and display experiences and precision-targeted media. With a powerful global footprint and a rapidly growing advertising ecosystem, we’re looking for an Associate Director Programmatic Platform Operations to drive scaled, high-performance programmatic delivery across our ad-supported business.
As Associate Director of Programmatic Platform Operations, you will lead the global programmatic platform operations group, a team that brings deep expertise in programmatic ad serving, DSP integrations, identity and audience systems, and cross-platform programmatic delivery. Your leadership will directly influence how Spotify builds, maintains, and operates its next-generation advertising platform.
This is a high-visibility, high-impact role suited for a leader who can bridge product strategy, technical operations, DSP partnerships, ad-serving technical architecture, monetization, and global advertiser support.
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What You'll Do- Act as the technical programmatic operations team lead for Spotify’s ads business, supporting macro-level deal setup, execution, and optimization for both PG, OMP, and PMP campaigns.
- Manage the Platform Operations group, specializing in programmatic systems, each supporting DSP integrations, exchange health, troubleshooting, and testing workflows.
- Lead operational readiness and cross-functional alignment for major platform transitions, including future state ad tech architecture planning and implementation.
- Partner with Sales and Product to develop, recommend, and activate customized deal strategies using available audiences, contextual signals, and DSP integrations.
- Provide internal guidance on programmatic strategy, budget allocation, pacing, inventory access, and KPIs, turning insights into actionable recommendations that grow spend.
- Serve as the escalation point for sophisticated macro-level troubleshooting, cross-DSP delivery issues, and 3P vendor integration challenges (VAST, measurement, creative hosting, etc.).
- Educate and support partners on Spotify’s programmatic roadmap, platform policies, technical capabilities, and measurement best practices.
- Collaborate with Technical Operations, Client Success, Sales, Product Marketing, and Pricing & Inventory to ensure accurate integration setups, seamless programmatic campaign execution, and helping to future-proof Spotify’s ad tech stack.
- Develop operational frameworks to support programmatic revenue expansion across our partner ecosystem, new DSP onboarding, and expanded programmatic efficiency.
- Contribute feedback to product and platform teams to influence feature development based on client/market needs and technical friction points.
Who You Are- You have 10+ years of experience in programmatic media, either on the publisher, platform or DSP/SSP side, with proven experience in leading programmatic strategy for an ads' business.
- You are deeply familiar with deal structures like PG, PMP, and Open Market dynamics, and understand DSP bid strategies, optimization levers, and auction behavior.
- You are highly experienced in leading teams and building scalable operational models across global markets.
- You are an expert in programmatic ad serving, bidstream mechanics, deal troubleshooting, delivery optimization, and biddable yield optimization.
- You have extensive knowledge of 3P measurement, brand safety, creative specs, and data onboarding across the programmatic ecosystem.
- You’re a technical problem solver and strategic thinker who is comfortable jumping into platform UIs, parsing delivery data, and translating issues into solutions.
- You understand the importance of building relationships and alignment across internal teams and key partners within the client's organization to get work done.
- You thrive in a cross-functional, fast paced environment and are skilled at balancing client needs with internal process, scale, and product integrity.
- You have excellent communication and storytelling skills and are able to translate complex technical insights into actionable recommendations for internal cross-functional partners and external stakeholders.
- You are comfortable working with DSPs, SSPs, Sales teams, product managers, engineers, support teams, and external vendors.
- You are proficient working in Trade Desk, Magnite, Yahoo and other DSP/SSPs and can work expertly with reporting tools and internal ad support systems.
Where You'll Be- We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! For this role, you can be within the North America region as long as we have a work location.
- This team operates within the EST time zone for collaboration.
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The United States base range for this position is $150,410 to $214,871, plus equity. The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, 13 paid flexible holidays, paid sick leave. These ranges may be modified in the future.
Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward-thinking! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.
At Spotify, we are passionate about inclusivity and making sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We have ways to request reasonable accommodations during the interview process and help assist in what you need. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know - we’re here to support you in any way we can.
Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the chance to enjoy and be passionate about these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music and podcasting. Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service.
